Joseph Hewitt, Sr

Born in Stonington, Conn. in Sept. 1696 (VR), and baptised at the 1st Congregational Church of Stonington, 13 Dec. 1696, son of Benjamin Hewitt & Marie Fanning; died in Stonington in 1787. Joseph married 1st, MARY CHESEBOROUGH, 5 Oct. 1720, Stonington (VR), daughter of Samuel Cheesebrough and Priscilla Alden (who was the granddaughter of Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscille Mullins); Mary died in Stonington, 12 Oct. 1754 in her 53rd year (tombstone) and was buried in the Old Plains Cemetery at Stonington. Joseph married 2nd MENITABLE (BROWN) SWAN, widow of Nathaniel Swan, In North Stonington, Conn., 4 June 1755 (CR). Mehitable was born in Stonington August 1712 (VR), daughter of John Brown and Elizabeth Miner; the date of her death has not been found. Wheeler's HISTORY OF STONINGTON, CONN. erroneously listed Mehelible as the wife of Joseph, Jr., her step-son, Wildey, in the CHESEBROUGH GENEALOGY correctly identified her as the 2nd wife of Joseph, the father. The son married Sarah Babcock in 1756. Joseph and his family resided in Stonington. He served as captain in the militia and was known as Capt. Joseph the remainder of his life. His will was written 18 Nov. 1784 and probated 2 July 1787 (Stonington Probate Records, docket #1632). Joseph provided for his wife Mehitable, his son Joseph and for his daughters, Hannah Wheeler, Prudence Lewis, and Ann Whipple. The rest of Joseph's children had predeceased their father. Grandson Josiah Grant Hewitt, son of Nathaniel, was named executor of the estate. The exact dates of Joseph and Mehitable's deaths are unknown.